Police seek witnesses in chase that led to fatal crash

ARLINGTON — Detectives want to speak with anyone who may have seen motorcycle riders trying to outrun Washington State Patrol troopers in what became a fatal chase in north Snohomish County on Saturday.

The incident ended in a crash that seriously injured one of the riders, Garrett Olson, 23, of Marysville, according to a patrol accident memo. He died Thursday at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The incident began when two motorcycle riders were spotted weaving through traffic on northbound I-5 at speeds of up to 100 mph, trooper Mark Francis said in a press release. Troopers in the air and on the ground worked together to attempt a stop.

The riders exited I-5 at Smokey Point and split up. A trooper in a patrol car reportedly tried to stop Olson but the man headed east on Highway 531. The trooper ended the pursuit when the rider ran a red light at the intersection of Highway 531 and 43rd Avenue NE.

The motorcyclist continued eastbound on the highway, passing vehicles on the right where there was no shoulder, Francis said.

He crashed at 1:42 p.m., about 1.6 miles east of where the pursuit ended.

Patrol detectives want to talk with any witnesses who saw the riders on I-5 and Highway 531 as well as those who may have seen the crash or other related events. Call detective Charles Sletten at 360-654-1144